The divisive format of BJP has ideological roots in RSS

By Humra Quraishi. Dated: 5/10/2019 12:25:58 PM

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Lately I have been having arguments with even those who indirectly try to support the RSS and these include the fence-sitters who seem short sighted enough to overlook the dark realities ahead, that is, if the RSS intrudes any further into the governance of this country. I was first introduced to the so called RSS 'literature' several years back and ever since I have read the thoughts and wishes and master plans of its masters, what stands out are the divisive strategies of the RSS, along the communal format.To quote Khushwant Singh on this, from one of his earlier writings - "All along the motivating factor for the Hindutva parties has been Islamophobia. The entire motivating factor behind the RSS is anti - Muslim. In fact, today when Mohan Bhagwat says that the RSS is open to other communities and has Muslim and Christian members too it's to be taken with a pinch of salt because the whole thrust behind the RSS Hindutva parties has been anti- Muslims."Khushwant had also brought into focus another factor -" Don't overlook the fact that before Jinnah had come up with the two-nation theory, it was Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, VD Savarkar, who had come up with the Hindu nation theory. In fact, Lala Lajpat Rai had even drawn a map of divided India - along religious lines. Whatever the RSS had been trying ever since the country's Independence they seemed to get now! Fascism well and truly crossed our threshold and dug its heels in our courtyard. We let the fanatics get away with every step they took without raising a howl of protest. They burnt books they did not like, they beat up journalists who wrote against them, they openly butchered people for believing in a different God…The carnage in Gujarat, the Mahatma's home state, in early 2002 and the subsequent landslide victory for Narendra Modi spelt disaster for our country. The fascist agenda of Hindu fanatics is unlike anything India has experienced in its modern history…For the last several years I have been seeing signs of fascism creeping in …private senas are used to unleash terror on minority segments and most Indians do not seem to realize the magnitude of this dangerous trend, the very magnitude of intolerance though signs are writ large. MF Husain had to live in exile, his paintings were burnt, girls molested in Mangalore pubs, killings in Kandhahar, all that propaganda in circulation - of Christians converting ( though the reality is that the Christian population in the country has actually gone down), the Sangh keeps whipping those old prejudices against the Muslims…Hindutva theory does not believe in treating all nationals as one,on the same footing ….there's that discrimination against the Muslims and Christians …that discrimination against Muslims, culminating in the very destruction of the Babri masjid, the massacre of Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, the murder of Christian missionaries, burning of the Bible..."******And let us not be naïve enough to be taken up by the double or triple speak of the BJP rulers…their bogus assurances that minorities are safe and intact under their rule. Not to be overlooked the fact that BJP is an offshoot of the RSS. To quote from academic Shamshul Islam's book 'Know The RSS - based on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Documents' (Pharos Media)-"BJP not independent of RSS…The RSS leadership keeps on harping that BJP is an independent political organization and does not work under the dictates of the RSS. It is pertinent that one compares this information with the facts available in the official publications of the RSS. The central publication house of the RSS, the Suruchi Prakashan, has published a book, Param Vaibhav Ke Path Par (The Road to Glory) in 1997 giving details of more than 40 organizations created by the RSS for different tasks. The BJP as a political organization figures prominently in it, clubbed with the ABVP, Hindu Jagran Manch, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Sanskar Bharti…In this book the BJP figures at number three in the list of prominent organisations created by the RSS. This book discusses the creation and development of the BJP under the aegis of the RSS in full three pages."Shamshul Islam also emphasises on a vital factor -"There has always been a conscious attempt to create confusion about its different fronts which provide RSS with the opportunity to dissociate with any of these as per its convenience. For instance it used Hindu Jagaran Manch(HJM) for attacking Christians in the late 1990s and when public opinion, media, and Parliament seemed to turn against it, RSS denied any relation with HJM...When nefarious designs of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Dharam Sansad were exposed before the nation, RSS announced that they were independent organizations. Interestingly, it was often seen mediating between the BJP led government( 1998- 2004) and these fronts…It will be interesting to know that many of these organizations have been organized in a clandestine manner, a characteristic of a Fascist set-up."******The picture gets sharper if one were to read Professor Jyotirmaya Sharma's book - 'Terrifying Vision - M.S. Golwalkar, The RSS and India ' (Penguin), To quote from Sharma's book "The Ram janambhoomi movement, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots of 2002 are just a few examples of the impact Golwalkar's legacy has had on the move towards a certain brand of radical Hindu nationalism …In Golwalkar's mental universe, there are two permanent enemies, the Muslims and politics.These two are the greatest impediments in the way of the Hindu Rashtra regaining its power and glory." Sharma has also quoted Golwalkar in his book. This provocative quote of Golwalkar- "Within the country there are so many Muslim pockets, i.e, so many 'miniature Pakistanis' …such 'pockets' have verily become centres of a widespread network of pro - Pakistani elements in this land. …The conclusion is that, in practically every place there are Muslims who are in constant touch with Pakistan over the transmitter …Right from Delhi to Rampur to Lucknow, the Muslims are busy hatching a dangerous plot, piling up arms and mobilizing their men and probably biding their time to strike from within when Pakistan decides upon a armed conflict with our country."****Tell me, where will all these communally charged divisive tactics take us! Wouldn't it spell doom and gloom for each one of us, the citizens of this country, if we are made to attack each other along communally charged plans and master plans?*(Humra Quraishi is a freelance columnist based in Delhi and is currently a visiting Professor in the Academy of Third World Studies in Jamia Milia University).